"I know you got somebody in there, Jamal." Terrell said, buttonholing his friend on the steps of the building.
"You don't know nothing. You hearing things. Told you to stay off of that PCP shit." Jamal said, bending over to retie his shoe. "What the fuck you doing spying on me anyway, dog?"
"Who's spying? I can't walk past your window anymore? Maybe you should rope it off with some of that yellow police tape."
"Shit." Jamal said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I gotta get to work. Ain't got time for your foolishness."
The two walked down the street, skirting the hop-scotching girls. It was mid-summer, and heat radiated from the old buildings and off the sidewalk.
"You take in a roommate? I don't know how you can do that, place as small as your's. Where you gonna put..."
"Will you shut up, T? All right, someone offered to help me do some cleaning round the place. That's all."
"Cleaning? What? You paying someone to clean that raggedy ass broom closet of yours?" Terrell said, smirking incredulously.
"I got a busy life! A man needs help with shit like that. Besides, i ain't paying nobody. More like a trade."
"What you got to be trading on?" Terrell asked. "Your rare coin collection?"
Jamal gave Terrell a shove, and he stumbled laughing towards the curb.
"Man, you GOT to come clean." Terrell said. "I heard someone moving around in there and I KNOW you was down at the Y. Now give it up. Come on, Jamal. We friends, right?"
Jamal felt a pang of guilt at not being open with his friend. At the same time he knew that Terrell was working him.
"It's just somebody." he said, vaguely.
"Well, I figured that out all by myself." Terrell said.
Jamal took a deep breath. "Alright. But you gotta keep your mouth shut. I mean it, T."
"Hell, you know me. Lips are sealed, motherfucker. Come on, bro. Give."
"It's just some guy I ran into over on 8th. He was buying."
"Yeah? And?" Terrell encouraged.
"I told him he could stay with me for a little while. That's all."
"And this 'trading' business? What's the dope on that?"
Jamal stopped and gave Terrell a searching look.
"You gotta keep this totally the fuck to yourself, you hear me?" Jamal said. Terrell was taken aback by his friend's serious tone.
"I swear, dude. Whatever you got to say, it stays right here and that's it. On my mama's grave."
"She ain't dead yet." Jamal said.
"Well, you know what I mean. You know you can trust me." Terrell said.
Jamal looked around, then turned to Terrell.
"This guy is a white boy. I was just hanging with Marcus, keeping him company while he was dealin', and he come up. The white boy."
"Yeah? Go on." Terrell said, and they began to walk again. Jamal looked at his watch There was time before he needed to clock in.
"Well, he was this tall, skinny white dude. Standing there looking around. Marcus sized him up right off. Anyway, Marcus signals to him, and he comes over, all nervous. I just step back and lean on the building, watching them. They do the deal - 4 grams, and Marcus smells money, so, you know, no family rate here." Jamal said, laughing.
"Anyway, while they're passing back and forth, I notice the white boy is looking my way. I take out my phone and check for messages, but I'm wondering about what white boy is up to."
"Maybe he sweet on you, bro." Terrell said, nudging Jamal with his shoulder. "You being a hansome young, black man with your pretty face, your smooth skin." he said, bending forward and slapping his knee. "Keep goin'. This gettin' good!"
Jamal watched his friends antics, smiling.
"You're not too far off, T. So, after those two wrapped things up, the white boy sort of wanders over toward me.
"Nice night." he says, and I just say'yeah'. I look at him. He's got these big blue eyes. Skin's super white and smooth, got these full, red lips. I'm thinking: some white fags with money will pay top dollar for a black dick to suck on. And you know me, T. I can always use the money."
"Yeah? So? What's next? You let whitey suck you off?"
Jamal looked away, feeling embarrassed.
"I just figured I could take him over to the park, get behind some bushes, and leave with some bills in my pocket. Didn't need to look at him, or nothing." he said.
"So we go over to the park, and he's all nervous and excited. He offers me a dip into his coke, and, you know, I was down with that. Anyway, we got a good jolt. Marcus's shit is always grade A. So, white boy is looking at me, and I know what he wants. I just said 'follow me' and, before I know it, my dick was getting the deluxe treatment from this dude. Fucker sure was hungry for it. Anyway, he give me a C-note for that, so I was happy. He sure could suck dick." Jamal said, with the look odf someone reliving a memorable moment.
"And him staying up your place? What's with that?" Terrell asked.
The two sat at a bench outside the drug store where Jamal worked.
"Well, he went on to tell me, I mean back then in the park, tell me how he's got money. Seems his daddy set up some kind of account for him that keeps him flush and then some. Like more than he knows what to do with, sounded like."
"So, you on the account now?" Terrell said, giving Jamal a sly look.
" I ain't gettin' specific, T. I want this under wraps as much as possible."
"I told you I'm top secret on this."
"I know, I know. And I trust you. I just don't feel like gettin' into details, is all. Anyway, he's payin' rent for staying there."
"You callin' it rent, eh?"
Jamal looked at his watch. He still had time before going into the store.
"I can tell you this much. That boy look up to me. Said he always respect black men, that they was strong and masculine. Said a white boy like him ought to be serving a black man."